Stranded With a Stranger
by Meeoko
Summary: Book 2. Whilst travelling in the Earth Kingdom, Zuko and Iroh are attacked by the Rough Rhino's. Zuko wakes up to find himself stuck in the forest with a loud and intriguing stranger. Short-fic for winner of my poll, Zutara-for-the-win.
1. Chapter 1

**Stranded With a Stranger**

**Meeoko**

**Summary : Book 2. Whilst travelling in the Earth Kingdom, Zuko and Iroh are separated and Zuko wakes up to find himself stuck in the forest with a loud and intriguing stranger. Short-fic for winner of my poll, Zutara-for-the-win.**

**Author's Note's : Well, it was close, but the winner of my fan artist poll was Zutara-for-the-win, creator of 'Kimochi the Spirit Monkey'. As promised, I have included them into a one-shot fiction as a prize for their hard work. **

**I would also like to thank both Rooeru and Cynicalmuse for all their hard work and devotion, as they've been following since the very beginning. I talked to Zutara-for-the-win (Terra) beforehand and organised things. Hopefully, this will be as accurate as possible. It will be about 2/3 chapters long.**

**And to my wonderful reviewers:**

**At the end of IFYH, I had so many reviews that it was near impossible to reply to them all, without making them very short. So instead, I would like to thank you all here. Thank you for all of your encouragement, support and absolutely incredible responses!  
From those who have been following since the days of EAI, to my anonymous reviewers and those of you who joined at the very end – THANK YOU!  
One anonymous reviewer, Angie has also put forward a suggestion about possibly making a fiction about the days before Zuko and Katara's marriage. This has got me thinking and at some point, I might pursue it. (I would also like to thank her for her very touching and in-depth review).**

**Anyway – on with the story!**

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"We've been riding for hours!" Zuko fumed, kicking at his Emu-horse. "Can't this thing go any faster?"

Iroh fought the urge to roll his eyes and placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder. He shrugged it off as if the touch burnt him and glared ahead at the open road.

"Patience, my nephew." Iroh chided. "We are lucky to have come across such fine creatures. We would still be back at Omashu if it weren't for our friends here. They have been running hard all day."

Reaching over the saddle of his own Emu-horse, Iroh rubbed underneath the creatures chin, smiling. The beast moaned happily as it walked and raised its head a little higher, so that the more itchy area's could be reached.

"We're wasting our time." Zuko grumbled, pulling his rice hat lower over his face. "If you hadn't stopped in that town to look for some stupid tea leaves, we'd be half way to Ba Sing Se right now!"

Iroh looked up at his nephew as if he had shoved a white hot branding iron in his backside.

"_Stupid tea leaves_?" he repeated, aghast. "No relative of mine would ever say such a thing! Tea is a wonderful, magical feat of genius, Zuko. Without tea, I would be but a sickly old man. And you would not want to be responsible for my ill health, would you, my nephew?"

"Ugh!"

Sinking into the back of his saddle, Zuko crossed his arms and pouted. What was the use in stealing from people when they could just cut back on tea and feed _themselves_ for once? This was ridiculous! Of course his Uncle had been recovering from his injury since their last encounter with Azula, but Zuko had a sinking feeling that the old man was feeling just fine.

They rode in silence for several more hours, slowly following the long and winding dirt path through the forest. Luckily, neither Zuko nor Iroh had much difficulty riding in silence. There were times that entire days would go by without a conversation and nobody would mind. They had too much to think about, anyway.

The sunlight was beginning to dim, filtering away through the thick, willowy canopy of the trees overhead. It made Zuko uncomfortable. Like he was being denied his own element before the time was up. He fit well into the darkness, but it disturbed him to be away from the great, sweltering ball in the sky. Without it, his power was just that much less.

"There is a bridge just north of here." Iroh spoke up, finally breaking the silence. "After that, there is only a few miles to go before we leave the forest again. We shall make camp once we have passed through."

Zuko didn't reply. He wouldn't give his uncle the satisfaction of coming up with the plan before_ he_ did.

They trotted on, turning the corner slowly. True to Iroh's words, there was the bridge. Zuko swallowed. It wasn't exactly what he had expected. The bridge was a good fifty feet long and twenty feet wide. But that wasn't what surprised him. Underneath the bridge, there was a swift, huge torrent of gushing water that spat and sloshed angrily over the edges of the riverbank.

Zuko hated water.  
He always had. But that hatred had only been intensified since his trip to the North Pole, barely a few weeks ago. Diving into that icy, life-stealing embrace had been like having thousands of tiny daggers shoved underneath his skin and then pulled upwards. It had clutched at his heart and almost killed him! More than that, it had lost him valuable strength – _and t_he Avatar!

Yes, Zuko hated water.

"Ah, the Men Sing river." Iroh smiled, patting his Emu-horse on the neck as he dismounted. "Good for fishing and the waterfall that lies beyond those trees is truly magnificent. I was fortunate enough to see it once, before the siege of Ba Sing Se."

Zuko swallowed again, careful to hide his face from his uncle with the rice hat. Great. A waterfall. Even better.

"Why're you getting down?" Zuko demanded, watching his uncle dismount. "We can just ride over it and get through quicker!"

Iroh shook his head, grabbing hold of the reins of the Emu-horse.

"No, Zuko. I am afraid not. It will take some convincing to lead these Emu-horses across. They do not take kindly to water."

"That makes two of us." Zuko mumbled grumpily.

"What?"

Zuko dismounted, refusing to meet his uncle's eye.

"Nothing."

The Emu-horses began to fidget as they neared the bridge, swinging their heads around and stopping mid-step. They were afraid, and Zuko didn't blame them. Grabbing a firm hold on the reins, Zuko took a slow breath and followed his uncle, dragging the reluctant mount with him. They put up a good fight, digging their feet into the dirt the closer they got the the bridge. By now, they were bucking their heads and braying and Zuko had a job to hold onto his own. Iroh was a few steps ahead, soothing and cooing to the beast as he tried to edge it towards the bridge. Zuko rolled his eyes and gave the reins a tug.  
There was no way he was going to fuss over the stupid creature like his uncle.

"Come _on_!" Zuko grunted, digging in his own feet as they took the first step over the bridge. "Stupid, worthless beast."

The Emu-horse threw its head sideways, jolting Zuko forward and he cringed as he reached out a hand to steady himself on the bridge. The rushing water looked terrifying, and they weren't even a quarter of the way over the bridge yet!

Regaining his composure, Zuko tugged angrily on the reins, slinging them over his shoulder and lunging forwards. The Emu-horse took three reluctant steps forward and then began digging its talons into the wood again. Zuko ground his teeth together.

"I should just leave you here, you pathetic _thing_." he hissed, concentrating only on the dry land at the end of the bridge.

"Zuko!"

Looking up at Iroh's startled words, Zuko barely had time to blink before a blast of intense heat hit him.

The Emu-horses reared up and screeched as pieces of splintered wood shot through the air, rattling the foundations. Zuko's heart stopped in his chest as he rose to his feet, feeling the bridge beginning to groan underneath him. A large chunk of the railings had been blown away – right where he was standing only a few seconds ago!

"There they are!" an angry voice bellowed. "Get them! I want them alive!"

Feeling his eyes go wide, Zuko looked over towards the bank they had come from. A group of heavily armoured, bulky men in Fire Nation armour rushed towards them. They sat atop ferocious, angry looking creatures, horns down and ready to charge.

"The Rough Rhino's!" Zuko bellowed.

He was lurched forwards as the Emu-horse bucked and screamed. His hands were still caught in the reins and the creature was too terrified to run or calm itself down. Angry calls followed them from the bridge as the Rough Rhino's jumped the fresh gap between the bank and the bridge. One held a lengthy chain with a hook on the end and he span it above his head, ready to attack.

"Zuko!" Iroh called urgently. "Let go of the Emu-horse! We must run!"

But Zuko couldn't. The reins were still twisted around his hand and the thrashing Emu-Horse threw itself backwards and forwards in a desperate attempt to escape – taking Zuko with it! The bridge shook and groaned underneath them as the terrified creature stomped around hysterically and Zuko felt his body beginning to clench itself into a knot. The stupid creature was going to break the bridge if it didn't stop!

"Get 'em!"

A whizzing noise flew through the air and the iron chain flew past Zuko's right ear, barely missing him. The Emu-Horse squealed, raising itself into the air and braying. The chain withdrew and shot back a second time. Zuko went to swerve away, but the jerking of his mount threw him back again and the curved talons of the deadly hook grazed his arm as it shot past.

"Zuko!"

The sound of running feet on the bridge sounded behind him as Iroh rushed to his nephew's aid and the bridge below trembled and groaned again underneath them. Zuko tried desperately to reach toward his mounts muzzle, to try to dislodge the bridle, but the animal snapped at his fingers and barked angrily. The sharp beak clipped his fingertips and Zuko had to fight the temptation to smack it around the head.

More running feet. The sound of a sword being drawn. Leaning backwards, Zuko shot out a jet of fire with an angry kick towards the Rough Rhino's. But the thrashing reins threw off his balance and he fell backwards, bringing the Emu-Horse forward with a start.

Iroh was by his side, reaching up to try to grab the rearing creature. Zuko was either going to get flattened, or become a pin-cushion if he couldn't get the bridle off!

"Uncle!" Zuko cried as the Rough Rhino's cleared the gap and ran towards them. "Stop them!"

"I can't!" Iroh grunted as the Emu-Horse jerked sideways. "The bridge is wooden!"

_Great!_ Zuko thought as he struggled. _No Fire Bending!_

But as soon as Iroh had a hold of the bridle, he shot backwards as the point of a blade jabbed at his chest. The Rough Rhino glared down at Zuko, smiling wickedly. He rose his sword above his head as Zuko tried desperately to right himself and brought it down in a single swoop. Forcing all of his weight away from the Emu-Horse, Zuko jumped backwards. The blade's edge flew past his fingertips, slicing the reins in two.

Rolling backwards, Zuko clenched his teeth as his upper body slid through a gap in the railings, so that he could see the rushing water beneath him perfectly. Pushing himself back onto the bridge as quickly as he could, Zuko ripped the now shredded remains of the reins from around his hands and shot into a bending stance.

Iroh was fighting off two of the Rhino's, deflecting and parrying the blows that shot towards him. A growl rose in Zuko's throat and he unsheathed his two dual swords and charged.

Leaping through the air, Zuko landed a kick into the chest of a Rough Rhino and lashed out with his swords at another as he landed. The Rhino parried his blows with a huge hammer and lunged forwards, pushing Zuko backwards into the railings of the bridge. Desperately trying not to look down, Zuko's muscles strained and screamed as he fought against the superior power of the older man.

Although he was stronger, the Rough Rhino wasn't quicker. Bracing himself for pain, Zuko hung his head backwards and with all his might, head-butted the man in the nose. Reeling off, the Rough Rhino clutched at his nose and swore.

The whistling sound of arrows tore through the air and Zuko dived, a green-tipped arrow barely skimming his side. He landed on the bridge with a thud and then jumped backwards once more, narrowly avoiding the gigantic, crashing talons of the Emu-Horse, which was rearing and bucking in its terror. An arrow was lodged in its flank and the beast shrieked in agony as it jolted its body this way and that – unable to go either backwards or forwards.

Iroh dodged to the side as easily as a man half his age, swerving away from the pointed hook as it shot past his shoulder. Leaping to his feet, Zuko was barely able to regain his balance before a pointed blade was shoved in his face.  
Parrying the blow from the angry Rhino, Zuko reeled around the bucking Emu-Horse to avoid being kicked. But the creature was sided by two angry and armed men and it jerked, hitting Zuko square in the chest with its talon.

Flying through the air, Zuko felt a searing pain in his leg. Then, before he could realise what had happened, he was falling.

The image of red clad men and the prickling hackles of the Emu-Horse were the last thing he saw before he went under.

His lungs filled with water as Zuko fell down into the roaring river and the current grabbed at his ankles and legs, twisting and turning him through the water over and over again. Zuko's eyes shot open as he tried to right himself and the searing pain in his chest and leg intensified as the sharp, swirling waters tore at him with its icy grip.

He didn't know which way was up!  
Twisting rapidly through the water, Zuko's foot connected with something and he kicked against it, his lungs screaming for air as the water choked at him. Piercing cold jabbed at his eyes as he broke through the surface, sucking in all of the precious air that he could.

But the icy clutches of the underworld clutched at his ankles and Zuko was swept under once again, away from the precious embrace of air. Something sharp caught his arm as he was swept past and he let out a cry, his lungs filling with water once again.

Zuko's heart was pounding, his nerves on fire and his mind was screaming. He was drowning! And his uncle had said that there was a waterfall at the end of the river! He was going to drown and be crushed to death!

Another sharp point speared him in the chest and Zuko stifled the cry, holding onto the last fragments of oxygen he had left. His vision was clouded by the water and he couldn't see which way was up or down in the constant swirling. The edges began to grow black as his lungs burnt and scorched, too starved of oxygen to continue much longer.

Kicking against the currents as hard as he could, Zuko fought to get to the surface. But the same, icy cold hands of the river pulled him back down into the darkness. Something echoed through the water and Zuko thought he heard muffled shouting.

He stopped dead, slamming hard into something dark and still. Pain tore through his body and the last of Zuko's breath was slammed from his lungs as he ploughed into the wall. His vision dimmed and the black edges began to throb, but suddenly, Zuko was thrown upwards.  
His stomach lurched as he broke through the surface of the water and he coughed and spluttered, taking in great gasps of air. He waited for the icy hands to pull him under, but nothing came. What? Wasn't he in the water anymore?

Lurching sideways so fast that the dark grey wall in front of him blurred, Zuko's head hit the solid surface when the slippery floor juddered to a halt. He continued to cough and splutter, retching as he brought up what seemed like half of the river from his stomach. Shivering violently, Zuko felt himself shoved forward and onto something squishy. Grass. _Grass!_ A loud grinding noise sounded behind him and then the same pounding roar of the river began to echo beside him.

His head swam.  
His body went limp, falling into the cushy grass beneath him and he blinked heavily, trying in vain to dislodge the water that had stung at his eyes.

"Hello? Are you okay? Hello?"

Was he dead? He supposed so. He'd been running from it long enough.

Something pushed against his side and with a heavy shove and a grunt, Zuko rolled onto his back. His eyes felt heavy and the began to close.

"Hey, hey! Don't you go an' die on me!"

Was that something that a spirit would say? It seemed a little unorthodox. But a sharp sting to his face brought Zuko back to reality. He winced, closing his eyes tightly and let out a pained grunt. Had somebody just _slapped him_?

There was a sound beside him that similar to a sigh and Zuko felt the warmth of a hand on his face before his eyes were forced open and the light blinded him.

"You okay in there?"

Zuko winced, trying again to close his eyes against the light, but warm hands prised them open and someone looked down into them, checking for something. If he had had more energy, Zuko would have immediately swiped the hands away. They were touching his scar!

The light blinded him and Zuko coughed again, feeling something lumpy and sore stuick in his throat. It was blurry and his eyes were red raw from the whipping water of the river, but Zuko just managed to make out the colours black and green before they were allowed to snap back shut again.

* * *

Warmth. He remembered that. Warmth was good. Warmth was alive.

Zuko refused to open his eyes. He had slept a dark and restless sleep, where he was pretty sure someone had been moving him. It was a smooth and easy ride, almost as if he were floating. But it wasn't comfortable, he remembered that too. And it was cold. _Very _cold.

Perhaps that was all a dream. Or it might have been reality. Zuko wasn't sure. He wasn't even entirely certain who he was at that moment, or what he had been doing. There was definitely a distinctive memory of not being able to breathe. But although the last pathetic grips of sleep had long gone and left him, Zuko refused to open his eyes. Darkness was safe and reliable. The light stung and if he opened his eyes, he might find something that he didn't like.

Something wafted over him, filling his senses with the most delicious and wonderful smell he had ever experienced in his life! And there was something against his face, warm and soothing. It was probably a fire. But it didn't _feel _like a fire.

Moving himself ever so slightly, Zuko's throat screamed and grated in protest and he shot forwards in a fit of coughing. Something seemed to be stuck inside his throat and he spluttered in an attempt to dislodge it. His heavy eyes shot open and he registered a brown, hard-looking floor before the coughing had passed and he flopped back downwards onto whatever it was he was lying on.

A sharp yelp tore at his ears and Zuko fell backwards as a quick movement shot out from underneath him. He fell back onto a cushy sleeping mat, but the shock rattled him and another fit of intense coughing wracked his body, causing him to curl up tight against himself until it had passed.

"Cougar! That's not a very nice way to greet a guest!"

There it was again. That voice. So, maybe he wasn't dead. _No_, Zuko thought. _I'm not that lucky._

"Are you okay?" the voice asked.

Zuko heard footsteps between his coughing as the voice came closer. Something warm touched his shoulder and he shrugged it off, coughing out the very last of the water that seemed adamant to stay inside his lungs and grow stagnant until it poisoned him.

Reluctantly, he opened his eyes. There was no use in playing dead now, anyway.

The dim light wasn't enough to make him flinch like it had before, but he squinted against it until his eyes had adjusted. His eyes felt like someone was piercing him with small red-hot daggers.

The same colours began to form into place. Black and green. There was a large expanse of lumpy grey behind the figure. A cave. He was in a cave!

Things looked hazy but after a while, the colours began to take shape. A pair of eyes, a nose, an open mouth in the shape of an 'o'. Zuko's stomach lurched as the figure beamed down at him. An Earth Kingdom girl – great!

"Hey, you're awake!" the girl beamed at him, showing a full row of white teeth. "Bout time too! I wasn't looking forward to diggin' a grave."

Zuko's eyes burnt. A person, a girl. Wait - where'd she come from? Where was his Uncle? Images and questions swirled inside his head, but Zuko couldn't quite give them a form. There was still too much river water in his brain!  
But he still heard her and tried not to growl at the word 'grave'. What did she think he was – a child? He'd been through worse and survived! What made her think a little water could kill him?

Well, it was more like a lot of water. Angry, stabbing, icy cold, unforgiving water that terrified him even more than the Rough Rhino's. But he wasn't going to admit that to _her, _much less explain it!

"You've been out for two days." the girl's smile never faltered. "It's a good thing I spotted you. You shot right past me! A couple'a more feet and you would have gone over the waterfall! You got bashed around pretty bad and that river looked damn cold."

_No kidding. _Zuko thought angrily to himself.

"Cougar took quite a liking to you." she continued, beaming. "It's kinda weird. He's never taken to anybody like this before. Guess you must be an animal lover or something."

Zuko wanted to punch himself in the face. Animal lover? Hardly! It was a stupid animal that almost got him killed in the first place! And why was she still talking? But Zuko froze in place when a large furry nose was poked in his face. Now he realised exactly who 'Cougar' was!

"Ya know," the girl pondered thoughtfully, stroking Cougar's shaggy yellow fur. "I guess there aren't many people out there who can get this close to a Wolf-Lion without getting eaten. We must be lucky, I guess. Cougar's been with me since he was a pup, so don't worry, he's not gonna eat you or anything. At least, he hasn't eaten anyone before."

Zuko was rigid. He clenched his teeth together as the huge, hulking animal poked its nose in his face. The shaggy mane fell in his face and tickled his nose, but Zuko didn't dare push it away. She was _living _with a Wolf-Lion? Was she a complete and total imbecile?

Her words weren't exactly filling her with confidence either! The bulky Wolf-Lion was almost the same height as his Emu-Horse, three times as long and about ten times as powerful! Cougar opened his mouth, showing a row of terrifyingly razor sharp teeth. Zuko braced himself and lay completely still, his heart rate beating that much faster than when he had been drowning in the river! But instead, a warm soggy tongue licked at his face, making Zuko freeze up even more.

"Aw, see?" the girl beamed. "Told'ya he likes you. Good thing too. Probably would'a eaten you otherwise."

Zuko remained completely still, waiting nervously for the gigantic Wolf-Lion to grow tired of him. At least now, he knew what he had been sleeping on!

"Cougar, get outta here, will ya?" the girl sighed, grabbing the creature by the muzzle and shoving it away. "Give the guy some space!"

Zuko wasn't sure whether or not to admire the girl's bravery or laugh at her idiocy. She'd just shoved away the Wolf-Lion like it was a naughty child! And the creature was _letting _her too! The girl didn't even seem much older than he was - perhaps twenty or so.

At least now he could breathe again, since the Wolf-Lion had retreated to a more appropriate distance. It kept looking at him with its head cocked, as if it was eager to inspect him. Zuko _really _wished that it wasn't!

Not to be left forgotten, the mysterious Earth Kingdom girl smiled the same enthusiastic smile and held out her hand towards him.

"I'm Terru, by the way."

Zuko looked over her, fuming. Was this girl _serious? _What did she expect him to do - sink to his knees and thank her? He'd just woken up, had no idea where he was or what had happened to his Uncle!Did she actually think that he was going to shake her hand? She'd already launched herself on him, along with her _pet_. And _why _was she still talking? Zuko was suddenly reminded of his sister's annoying friend from the Fire Academy, Ty Lee.

Terru cocked her head, waiting for a response. But when she received none, she got the hint and let her hand drop. But instead of simply leaving him alone like Zuko had hoped, she continued to smile like an excited idiot.

"Guess you're still tired, huh? No idea why though. You've been sleeping for two days now! It's been getting kinda cold without my sleeping fur."

She laughed and pushed aside a strand of messy black hair. It seemed to be everywhere! What was she, a feral child or something! Maybe that would explain why she was living with one of the most dangerous predators in the world!

"Oh yeah, do you want a drink'a water or something? Guess you're pretty thirsty. Why is it that people do that, d'ya think? They almost drown and swallow half the river, but then when they wake up – they're thirsty!"

Zuko contorted his face into the most angry expression he could manage without wincing. Her incessant chattering was driving him insane! His head was pounding like a Rabba-Roo and although he had remained silent the entire time, this _Terru _just wouldn't leave him alone! Gods, it was just like that Earth Kingdom kid, Lee all over again! Did nobody in the Earth Kingdom keep quiet for more than ten seconds?!

Terru shrugged her shoulders and turned around towards the steady fire that was behind her. A pot hung over it and the same delicious smell wafted over Zuko, making his mouth wet with hunger. Concentrating on the ceiling, Zuko waited for the girl to turn back around. Perhaps if he ignored her, she would just shut up! But then again, he had been ignoring her since he had woken up! He didn't even know if he _could _speak. His dry, itching throat ached terribly and the lump in the back of it still hadn't dislodged itself.

_Where's Uncle? _Zuko thought to himself, a little sadly. _Did he make it out? Was he captured? What if he fell in the river too?_

His thoughts were interrupted as Terru turned back towards him, holding a steaming cup in her hands. It smelled wonderful and Zuko had to concentrate hard on the ceiling to stop himself turning right around and snatching it from her.

"Here ya go." she smiled. "Nice hot broth. If you want some'a the stew, you're gonna have to hold this down first."

The raw itching in his throat was becoming too much to ignore and the enticing smell of the broth really was appealing. Letting out a breath through his nose, Zuko decided that this girl's incessant noise was less important than his thirst. Bracing himself to sit up, Zuko was surprised when his body didn't respond to his command. His movements were slow and clumsy and even moving an inch or so blossomed a dull ache in his chest.

"Uh, yeah, why don't you let me do that?" Terru interjected, her smile fading slightly as she watched him struggle to sit up. "You were banged up pretty bad and it doesn't look like you're gonna be moving far anytime soon."

_What! _Zuko groaned inwardly, scathing with anger. _How long am I going to be stuck here with this annoying peasant? I need to go find Uncle!_

Terru reached down with one hand towards him, but Zuko shrugged her off. He'd be damned if he accepted her help! Clenching his teeth together, Zuko forced his slow muscles into action, the aches in his body screaming in protest. When he raised himself up onto his elbows, the sleeping fur that covered him fell away and he snarled in both anger and embarrassment.

Terru blushed and grinned stupidly as she wiped away another strand of loose hair from her eyes.

"Heh, sorry about that. But your clothes were soaking wet and you were really cold. Wasn't like I could wait to ask permission or anything. Your clothes're dry now though, so you can put 'em back on if you want."

Swallowing, Zuko scowled up at her and forced a low snarling sound out of his parched throat. She had _undressed him_?

Surely this girl was just asking for a reason to get burnt! She's taken away his clothes, for Agni's sake! Reaching over as quickly as he could without inducing too much pain, Zuko pulled the blanket back up to his neck. There was _no way _he was going to let some insolent peasant see him like this! Weak and exposed!

Terru's blushing face infuriated him so much, he was tempted to just knock the cup of boiling broth into her lap! But he didn't have enough energy and his throat was still on fire, obviously being a little worse for ware after he had growled at her. Unable to look at her with the rage surging through his body, Zuko forced himself up into a sitting position, ignoring the protesting screams from his body and keeping a close eye on the Wolf-Lion, who sat patiently in the corner looking at him.

Terru held the cup towards him, but Zuko snatched it out of her hands. After all of this embarrassment, he was certainly _not _going to let her feed him like a child! His hands shook around the cup and they felt incredibly heavy. Resting his elbows on his knee's to steady himself, Zuko took long quenching gulps, ignoring the scorching in his mouth. Even the mildest dishes in the Fire Nation were hotter than that!

"Wow, you must be pretty thirsty." Terru smirked. "You like Rabbit-Mouse stew, right?"

Zuko ignored her and kept on drinking. Terru watched him with an infuriating patience, never once taking her eyes away from him, or washing the smile from her face. When Zuko had finished the delicious brew, he handed her back the cup and continued to scowl. Looking down at the blanket, something caught his eye.  
Hating himself under the scrutinising gaze of the Earth Kingdom girl, Zuko moved the blanket away from his chest only by a fraction. A large black and purple bruise swelled over his chest, covering from his stomach, almost to his collarbone.

Terry let some air out of her mouth and chewed on her lip, not bothering to turn around to give him a bit of privacy.

"Yeah, nasty, ain't it? What'd ya do, get kicked by an Emu-Horse!"

That was exactly what it was. Zuko remembered the scene a little clearer now. Yes, it had been the stupid Emu-Horse that had knocked him into the river in the first place! He remembered having the wind knocked out of him completely and looking down at the vast bruise, Zuko could see why.

"No internal damage though." Terru continued. "I checked. And you got quite a lot'a scrapes on ya. Sprained ankle, bruised a bone in your arm, got a nasty cut on your arm and your shoulder and hit your head a few times. But considering the beating you took, it could'a been much worse."

Zuko remained silent. He wondered if she had seen his encounter with the Rough Rhino's. Suddenly, Terru looked down at the floor, blushing. The showering curtains of loose black hair swept back over her face and she made no attempt to sweep them away.

"Actually, a lot of your injuries are, uhm, well, alot'a them are my fault."

Peeking through the curtain of cascading hair, Terru looked intensely guilty under Zuko's angry gaze. He hadn't stopped glaring at her since she had let the Wolf-Lion jump on him!

"I tried a few things to get you outta that river before you went over the falls." Terru mumbled. "But you,uh, you kept bouncing off 'em. I guess it wasn't the best idea in the world to try and fish you out with pointy rocks, huh?"

Zuko's frown eased up. His memory jogged into place, though it was all very hazy. The jagged objects that he had crashed into, he definitely remembered the pain from that. And the wall. It had _moved,_ hadn't it? Like the water had drained away, or he'd been lifted up into the sky. But wait! Didn't that make her-?

"Earth Bender." he spat, wincing and unable to hide his contempt.

Terru didn't seem to know how to react. Both joy and confusion shot across her face. He had spoken, but he had also spat out as much venom as he possibly could when he had mentioned her people. His last encounter with Earth Bender's had been less than pleasing and now he was reliving the same kind of hammering pain that he had before!

Terru finally settled on the same infuriating smile before she answered again.

"Hey, so you _can _speak! I was beginning to think you didn't like me!"

Zuko sighed heavily and put his head in his hands, rubbing at his eyelids. It had been an incredibly tiring awakening. It probably hadn't even been twenty minutes, but it felt like a lifetime had passed for Zuko.

His eyelids began to droop again and he felt a heavy weight come over his body. Wincing at the screaming pain in his muscles, Zuko lowered himself back down onto the sleeping fur. Even if this Earth Bender didn't shut up and let him sleep in peace, he'd just fall asleep anyway.

"So, now that you're speaking to me and all," Terru chirped, clearly happy by his breakthrough. "I guess you can tell me your name."

But when she looked at him for an answer, Zuko was already fast asleep.

* * *

It was late when he woke again. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes, certain that he would wake up to the perky Earth Bender, beaming down at him like a clueless idiot. But when he forced his heavy eyes open, he saw her, cuddle up closely into the fur of the Wolf-Lion, both snoring gently.

Feeling his stomach grumble, Zuko raised himself back up into a sitting position. The pain hadn't lessened much during his slumber and had cramped up from being still for so long. He looked around the cave, uncertain of exactly what to do, when he spotted a small bowl beside him. It was filled with some of the stew he had seen boiling in the pot the last time he had been awake and a cup beside it, filled with more broth.

Both bowls were cold as he picked them up and Zuko looked warily over towards the sleeping Earth Bender before judging it was safe to heat them back up again.

He finished the food in record time and gulped down the steaming broth happily. Zuko had to admit, it tasted good. Very good. Even if she was incredibly annoying – and the enemy – Terru was an excellent cook. Maybe even better than his Uncle.

_Uncle..._

Zuko's thoughts turned to the old man. What had happened to him? Was he alright? Even though Zuko had abandoned his uncle only a few weeks ago so he could travel alone, he had to admit he was worried about him.

Zuko made a decision then and there.  
He scowled angrily as he gathered the blanket around himself and a blush coloured his cheeks. His clothes were slung over a rock beside him and Zuko tried not to think about what the Earth Bender might have thought when she had taken his clothes away from him!

Zuko was her enemy, but he was a man first. Plus, his Earth Kingdom clothes seemed to have easily fooled the perky Earth Bender.

When he tried to stand up, Zuko saw spots. Every fibre in his body seemed to protest as he rose to his feet. His legs seemed to have gone dead and he stood there for a moment, gingerly flexing muscles that had lay dormant for the past two days. Or it might have been _more_ than two days.  
After his muscles had lessened their screaming to a dull ache, Zuko walked towards his clothes. His steps were awkward and clumsy and his ears went red at the thought of his sister and what she would say if she could see him now.

Changing into his clothes was even more difficult. Zuko was far too paranoid to simply change then and there in case the Earth Bender woke up, so he hoicked the blanket over himself and painfully pulled on his clothes. Even bending his legs made him wince!

Zuko could feel the dawn approaching. The close arrival of the sun called to him, making his inner fire burn just a little brighter and he tried to hurry his pace. Terru appeared to be a soldier, as Zuko had spotted the heavy-looking hammer alongside her belongings and a rice-hat bearing the emblem of the Earth Kingdom army. And most warriors rose at dawn, whether they were a Fire Bender or not.

Zuko didn't have the time or energy to worry about the questions buzzing in his head. He was in a cave, in the middle of nowhere with an Earth Kingdom warrior who could kill him at any time in his sleep! He had no energy to defend himself and had no idea where he was! His Uncle was either dead, captured or missing and when Terru realised that he was gone, she would probably send a vicious, angry Wolf-Lion after him!

Things weren't looking up, but Zuko ignored each of the worries. He had made a decision and he was going to stick to it! He'd be damned if he had to spend another day in a cave with an irritating, peppy Earth Bender and her dangerous pet!

Taking a deep breath, Zuko moved across the cave, walking as quietly as he possibly could when he passed the sleeping Earth Bender and her beast, Cougar. He could barely see Terru's face as he passed as the loose strands of hair completely covered her face. It was surprising that she tied her hair back. Why did she bother, if all her hair fell back out anyway?

Clearing his 'guards', Zuko stepped out to the mouth of the cave. He sighed when he saw that they were quite high up. Hundreds upon hundreds of trees surrounded the cave, all sloping downwards. Blinking back the sleep in his eyes, Zuko tried to find West in the sky. Ba Sing Se was in the West and that's where he and his uncle had been headed before they were attacked. So, if he got himself back on the right path, he had a better chance of finding the old man.

_If he's even here to find. _Zuko thought to himself, sulkily.

Taking in a deep breath and ignoring the squealing muscles in his body, Zuko began the descent down the rocky hill. It was hard going. The terrain was so rocky and unstable, little clumps of earth would occasionally slip out from underneath his feetand send him skidding down the slope. More than once he had to stop to catch his breath, as the little black dots danced in front of his eyes from the pain skipping through his body like lightning bolts.

He found it difficult to concentrate, the constant fatigue slowed his progress dramatically and the near-blindness of his raw, sleepy eyes made him see things in the sky that weren't there. Once, he found himself heading in the completely wrong direction and he had to backtrack half a mile and start again.

Nothing much passed through Zuko's thoughts during this time besides his uncle. He kept his mind focused only on two things – where he was going and how to block out the constant pain that dragged him down.

His ankle was the main problem. Zuko knew never to walk far on a sprained ankle, but at the moment, he didn't have much choice. He tried to zone out the pain as he edged slowly down the slope, walking similar to a crab to take the weight off his ankle. Zuko had been walking for four hours before he heard something coming from behind him. A pounding noise. A dull thudding, like the sound of Komodo-Rhino hooves thumping on the ground.

Feeling disdain wash over him, Zuko picked up his pace. The Earth Bender had finally realised that he'd gone and now she was coming after him! At least Zuko had had a head start – Terru was apparently not the typical soldier and hadn't risen at dawn.

Zuko's disdain increased when he realised that in four hours, he hadn't even covered four miles!

"Stupid ankle." he hissed as quietly as he could. "Stupid peasant. Stupid river. Stupid Emu-Horse!"

The thudding got louder and Zuko tried to force himself into a fast walk. He hissed loudly as the strain on his ankle began to finally take its toll, but he continued to push on down the slope. The thudding noise got louder again and Zuko grit his teeth together.

She had spotted him. He knew that much and now he had no chance of getting away without either getting forced back up to the stuffy cave, or discovered as the Fire Nation Prince and eaten by the gigantic Wolf-Lion!

"Hey, hey you!" Terru's voice carried over the trees. "Hey, uh, Angry Guy! Stop, will ya?"

Great. So now he was 'Angry Guy'.

Zuko ignored her as he continued to limp down the slope. The thudding became a little slower and Zuko's heart clenched as he realised that the Earth Bender had brought the Wolf-Lion with her. Ignoring the searing pain that shot up his ankle, Zuko carried on, focusing only on willing the black corners in his vision to disappear.

"Hey, _stop_!" Terru's voice got louder and she pulled up alongside him.

Zuko tried not to let her see him flinch when he saw that she was _riding _the Wolf-Lion! She looked angry, with her lips pursed and a hand on her hip. But there was also a little doubt in the corners of her mouth that made her look worried.

Zuko hated that. Worry was just as bad as pity!

"You're gonna really hurt yourself! Look what you've done to your ankle!" she scolded, the Wolf-Lion walking slowly beside him. "Hey! Are you even _listening _to me? Where are you going?"

Zuko considered telling her, just to get her to be quiet, but decided against it. He doubted it would help and he didn't want her getting suspicious. Growling angrily, the Terru punched a fist down in the air and a wall of earth shot up right in front of Zuko's path.

"Hey, jerk!" Terru fumed, pouting. "You're gonna stay put and answer my questions! I think saving your life means I get'ta _at least _have a thank you! Or even some conversation! You haven't even told me your name! Now stay put or else I'm gonna force you back to the cave!"

Zuko was absolutely fuming. Fire coursed through his veins and he considered simply hurling a fireball in her face. But of course, that was the _worst _possible thing he could do! He wanted to walk around the wall and carry on away from her, but realised that this was also a stupid idea. It wasn't like he could outrun a Wolf-Lion! Especially with a sprained ankle!

Zuko looked at her, scowling fiercely. He could feel his eye twitching in anger, but made no move to conceal it. His throat wasn't nearly as bad as it had been since the broth, but his voice still same out as a stifled croak and his ears turned red in embarrassment.

"Let me pass."

Terru puffed some air between her lips and rolled her eyes. She crossed her arms definitely and frowned.

"Pfft! No way. And let you _walk _all the way to Ba Sing Se? I don't think so. Look at'ya ankle! It wasn't a bad sprain until you went and did this! No way you're makin' it down the mountain."

Zuko clenched his teeth. Unconsciously, his hands balled into fists and the anger flared up inside him like a lit match. He took in deep breaths, repeating the same mantra over and over again inside his head, even though it nearly killed him to do it.

_She saved your life. She saved your life. She saved your life._

"Let me pass." he tried again through clenched teeth. "_Please._"

Terru's expression didn't change.

"I'm guessin' you're the kinda guy who doesn't take no for an answer."

Zuko glared at her and she continued, the Wolf-Lion looking over at him intently.

"Well, I'm the kinda girl who doesn't like havin' their patient get up and walk out on them in the middle a'the night on a sprained ankle. I'm also the kinda girl who doesn't like bein' kept in the dark." she looked at him square in the eye, her mouth turning into a pout. "Answer my question and I might help you down, if ya _that _desperate."

Zuko remained silent as the flaring anger built up inside him, inflating him so much he felt ready to burst. His fists trembled as he clenched them tighter and his jaw was tight as he ground his teeth together. A few weeks ago, he would have just burnt the girl to cinders where she stood! But now things were different – he was injured, exhausted and she had saved his life.

Zuko might not have believed in many things, but there was one moral that his family had always striven to uphold. If someone saved you in times or peril, it was your duty to pay them back. No matter how annoying or infuriating this girl was, he was bound to her.

And that was the sole reason that Zuko kept himself from torching her, right then and there.

"So, I'll ask again." Terru's face was impassive, expectant. "What. Is. Your. Name?"

Swallowing his pride, Zuko tried not to let the anger spill over into a physical form.

"Zu-Lee." he spat out, scolding himself for almost forgetting his cover name. "My name is....Zulee."

Terru's face suddenly split into an unexpected grin. Zuko bit down on his lip, hard. He would prefer to have the angry, stubborn stupid Earth Bender than have the optimistic, annoyingly energetic stupid Earth Bender any day!

"Well there we go!" she smirked. "That wasn' so hard, was it?"

_You have. No. Idea. _Zuko hissed inside his head, determined not to incur the wrath of the Wolf-Lion.

Terru straightened up in her position behind Cougar's neck, clearly pleased with the progress she had made. Her arms were still crossed, but this time in triumph. The smug look on her face sent Zuko's blood boiling.

"Now," Terru smirked. "where'r you going?"

Zuko was tempted to make a break for it, even if his foot fell off just to get away from her prying! For the love of Agni, she was as smug as her Uncle!

"_West."_ he managed, not once able to separate his teeth.

"Not in that condition, you're not." Terru frowned, pouting out her lower lip. "You're gonna turn that sprain into a break if you're not careful. Prob'ly already have."

Although it grated on his nerves, Zuko had to admit that she was right. Even when he suppressed the agonising pain to the back of his mind, it was undoubtedly a stupid thing to do. He fouht the urge to look down at his ankle, or shift his weight. He knew that even this small action would give Terru all the advantage she needed.

Biting down on the inside of his mouth, Zuko took a step back and turned around. This was a stupid, useless waste of time and he wasn't about to waste the rest of his day playing Cat and Mouse with some crazy Earth Bender!

"Hey! Where'd ya think you're going?"

The brick wall increased in length. Zuko fought the furious twitch in his eyebrow and carried on limping.

"Hey! Zulee! I was t_alkin_' to you!"

The wall increased once again with a loud thud. Zuko carried on walking.

"Why you stubborn, ungrateful little _punk_!" Terru's voice trailed after him, hanging shrilly in the air and Zuko bared his teeth as he continued to limp closer to the end of the wall. "Get your butt back here!"

The snorting sound of the Wolf-Lion reached Zuko's ears and he had to force himself not to freeze. Terru's voice was softer now, although she still sounded furious as she muttered to herself.

"I can't believe I'm doin' this."

Zuko reached the end of the wall. Turning slightly to begin his descent down the hill, he didn't even have time to widen his eyes before the flying rock hit him square in the head.

His ankle gave out. Everything went black before he even felt his head hit the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

**Stranded With a Stranger**

**Meeoko**

**Summary : Book 2. Whilst traveling in the Earth Kingdom, Zuko and Iroh are separated and Zuko wakes up to find himself stuck in the forest with a loud and intriguing stranger. Short-fic for winner of my poll, Zutara-for-the-win.**

**Author's Note's : Okay, so I'm incredibly sorry that I haven't updated this in a year. I have already apollogised profusely to Zutara-for-the-win for the delay and she thankfully has forgiven me. I don't really have an excuse for not updating this story. But for a whole year, the writing magic was just gone. I had no inspiration. Hopefully that'll change soon enough and I'll get back into it. Hope my old reviewers are still watching. **

**Anyway, onto chapter two!**

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* * *

  
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Zuko's head hurt. Quite badly.

Although he wanted to drift back into the restless slumber that had allowed him to simply stop, the almighty pain in his temple just kept wrenching him back from the peace of sleep.

Lethargically, he opened his eyes, blinking away the sleep etched into the corners. Instead of being left in the dark, as he had expected, a gentle light flickered over his face. He had to try hard not to flinch away from it like a shot of pain.

He realised he couldn't move.

_What the-?_

The light stung at his eyes as they shot open and Zuko darted his head around. He could see the trees, the canopies above moving slowly above him, as if on their own accord. That couldn't be right. Why were the trees moving?

Zuko grunted, once again trying to move his arms. They wouldn't budge. He tried to move his legs, but with the same result. The trees above continued to move, as if he were moving. Something nudged into his back and Zuko grunted again, his face contorting into a vicious snarl.

The trees weren't moving – _he _was!

"Calm down, back there."

It was Terru's voice. Zuko let out a steaming breath. Why was he not surprised?

"You keep wrigglin' an' you're gonna fall off, Zulee."

Anger flared up inside Zuko and coursed through his veins as he fought for control over himself. The nudging continued, rhythmically. Now he knew where he was. There was a rope around his waist and heavy bonds holding his arms and feet down. He was strapped to the back of the Wolf-Lion like cargo! That insolent Earth Bender was carting him like a sack of wheat!

"Get me down!" he snarled, arching his head backwards to try and look at her. "NOW!"

His back hurt. The ridiculous Earth Bender had added a saddle onto the Wofl-Lion's back since he had seen her last and it dug into his ribs painfully as the beast moved. Now she was _saddling _the Wolf-Lion? Like some common Emu-Horse? Was she completely insane!

Zuko could just see the Earth Bender out of the corner of his peripheral vision and she raised her nose in the air and let out an angry breath. Zuko immediately snarled, whipping around in his bonds. The damn woman had bent rocks around his hands! Rocks! Didn't she know whom she was dealing with?

"Still as polite as ever." Terru scoffed, turning her back on him.

"I command you to let me down!"

Terru shook her head, letting a single laugh escape her lips.

"You _command _me? I don't think so, angry man. I'm the one in charge here. You're just cargo."

Zuko's blood boiled. He clenched his teeth together, struggling against his bonds, as pain tore through his chest. Struggling would get him nowhere, but it took nearly all of his willpower not to just burn the Earth Bender to a crisp.

"I am NOBODIES cargo!" he growled, whipping around. "Let me down! NOW!"

Terru ignored him completely. Zuko imagined her rolling her eyes and the thought made him snap.

"You pathetic, foolish, stupid woman!" Zuko screamed at the back of her head. "Let me down and I won't burn you where you stand, you _worthless peasant_!"

Terru's head whipped round and Zuko immediately shut his mouth. What had he just said! He'd threatened to burn her! Was he _that _stupid? She'd connect the dots and crush him with a boulder! He had just basically admitted to an Earth Bending Soldier that he was Fire Nation!

"What you say?" Terru's face was like stone. The Wolf-Lion stopped in its tracks and Zuko slumped forward, banging his head on a saddle hold.

Zuko said nothing. Yes, he owed this woman his life. Yes, his family would disown him all over again if they found out he had gone back on his oath. Yes, he could probably just scorch his way out of this and escape. And yes, she would probably crush him.

"What. Did. You. Say?" Terru's voice was icy and guarded, speaking through clenched teeth. Zuko looked away from her.

When Zuko didn't reply, Terru dismounted from the head of the Wolf-Lion and walked towards him. She stood beside the Wolf-Lion, her head barely visible, but soon rose to his level with a single stamp of her foot. Her hands were clenched into fists and the loose strands of hair covered her eyes, making her seem almost venomous.

"Peasant!" she spat. "PEASANT! Well, you ain't exactly Prince of the world _either_, buddy!"

Zuko was dumbstruck. She...she was angry because he had called her a peasant? Hadn't she just figured it out?

"Where'd you get off on callin' me scum, you angry little punk?" Terru continued to rant. "I should'a just knocked you out an' left you there for the wardens! You belong in a nut house, ya creep! D'you _wanna _break your ankle and get stuck in the forest to die? Cos to be honest, I'm thinkin' 'bout lettin' you do it! I swear, one more outburst from you, mate, and I'm just gonna chuck you right back in that damn river! And _this time_, I'll let you go over the damn falls too!"

For a moment, Zuko was slightly impressed. It took guts to stand up to him, and Terru was certainly holding her all. If it had been under different circumstances, he probably wouldn't have kicked her in the face. But she was insane, stupid and annoying – so try he did.

But without the use of his limbs, Zuko could do nothing but glare angrily at her as he writhed around in his incredibly uncomfortable seat.

"You got all that, buddy?" Terru spat, her eyes shooting venom at him. "Cos I'm not the type'a girl who likes to repeat herself! Now lie back and _shut up_!"

Leaping from her rock ladder, Terru soared over Zuko's head and landed expertly at the head of the Wolf-Lion, right back in her saddle. Zuko was fuming and steam seeped from his mouth as he clenched his teeth together. He had eluded death, but that was a small consolation. Now he was going to be stuck with this crazy Earth Bender – going who knew where and riding on a dangerous, massive Wolf-Lion!

_Perhaps death was the better option._

The Wolf-Lion began to move again and Zuko remained silent, his face reddening from the humiliation and rage. He sulked in silence as the Wolf-Lion padded through the trees and prayed to Agni for the better option.

* * *

They had been traveling all day. Well, technically – the Wolf-Lion had been traveling all day. Zuko had been sulking.

His limbs were starting to really cramp up and the movement of the saddle made his neck and shoulders ache. For the first hour they had been traveling, Zuko had spent it in controlled silence, fuming, with a face redder than the scorching sun.

And who could blame him? Some crazy, deluded Earth Bender had kidnapped him and tied him to the back of a deadly animal and carted him around for hours like a sack of wheat! Why shouldn't he be angry? Angry – and embarrassed.

Most of his time was spent in silent meditation. Terru remained at the saddle of the Wolf-Lion, equally as silent. Zuko guessed that she too was also angry.

_Good! _He thought to himself. _The crazy wench has no business kidnapping me!_

Zuko had toyed with the idea of escaping many times, but had continued to come up short. Mostly because he was injured and would probably just end up accidentally setting the Wolf-Lion on fire and then being slammed into a very big rock. Which, he concluded, would most certainly kill him in the condition he was in.

But there was something else that, although he would have denied it under pain of death, nagged at the back of his mind. His promise to honour his family tradition.

"_If someone has proved themselves above and beyond the call, it is to that person that you owe your life. Your needs shall become their own. For although life can be easily taken, it cannot be easily given back."_

His grandfather, Azulon had said that many times. He had taken a personal interest in drilling all the knowledge of family honour into his grandchildren that he possibly could. Azula had scoffed at his lessons, barely even aware that the old man had been speaking. But Zuko had been listening.

And now, he was hating himself for it.

For a few precious hours, Zuko contented himself with a dreamless and fitful sleep. It wasn't much, but it was enough. He had woken up in a boiling sweat, with Terru looking down at him oddly from the head of the saddle. Zuko had felt the Wolf-Lion shifting uneasily underneath him and for a moment, had been terrified that he would be discovered.

Zuko had always suffered from nightmares. Since his banishment three years ago, it had been rare to get a full nights sleep. But the worst thing was his bending. If he was sleeping, he couldn't control his bending.

And as a result, his body temperature had warmed severely. He was almost boiling to the touch and Zuko hoped to Agni that the Wolf-Lion's fur was too thick to feel it. Or at least to not get burnt.

He had stared at Terru for almost a full five minutes with his jaw clenched, just waiting for the accusing finger or soaring boulder aimed at his head. If he needed to – he _would _set the Wolf-Lion on fire! Then he'd make his escape!

But Terru did nothing. She simply stared back, cocking her head slightly and looking down on him with big beaming eyes. When Zuko continued to glare at her, ram-rod stiff and breathing heavily to cool himself down, she had reached in front of her. Zuko let out a small sigh, praying the worst was over.

He jolted upright when a skin full of water was dumped over his head. The movement jarred his aching neck and shoulders and his chest immediately tightened as pain racked through the bruising from the Emu-Horse's kick. The water stung at his eyes as some of it evaporated into the air and Zuko hurriedly bit his teeth together, trying desperately to regulate his body temperature through the pain.

But the Wolf-Lion picked up its pace again. The Earth Bender had turned back towards the hills, seemingly oblivious to the rapidly vaporizing water that drifted away from Zuko's skin.

It took almost a full twenty minutes before Zuko allowed his body to relax a little. He breathed in deeply until his body temperature had reduced itself to normal. Or at least, normal for a Fire Bender. There was something inside him that was constantly wary, sharp and alert. But there was also something else that prevented him from torching Wolf-Lion and Earth Bender in a blaze of fiery rage. Perhaps the deluded Earth Bender had just thought he had a fever? She had thrown water on him, after all. But was that even what you were supposed to do to someone who had a fever?

Maybe she was just doing it out of spite.

Zuko's blood seemed to chill as more thoughts crowded his mind.

Maybe she wasn't taking him where she said she was. Maybe she had seen the wanted posters in the last town! Maybe she knew he was a Fire Bender and was taking him to meet his death!

The Wolf-Lion came to an abrupt halt, jarring Zuko's aching muscles once more. He looked up at the canopy of leaves above him. There was little light, but Zuko's could tell it was near dusk. He could feel the fire dimming inside him. He didn't bother looking up, but the thud of booted feet on grass made Zuko groan inwardly. What now?

"Alright, ya angry little man," Terru began "I'm gonna let ya down now, but ya need to behave yourself. I ain't chasing ya through the forest all night."

Zuko said nothing. He was surprised that the Earth Bender was offering to let him down. Perhaps she just thought he was a harmless non-bender after all. Suddenly, there was a loud crunching noise and Zuko felt loose in the saddle. He flexed his muscles, almost rolling off the saddle as he did so. His neck and arms screamed in pain and when he sat up, his stomach shot through with searing pain. He wondered how his bruise was looking now. Probably not very nice at all.

* * *

"I know it ain't the most comfortable of positions, but ya didn't leave me much choice." Terru said, looking him up and down "Now get your butt up off Cougar's back and let's eat."

Zuko turned his head to glare at her. Terru simply stared back at him, a small frown creating a crease just above her nose. She pointed a finger straight at him, as if she were his mother.

"And no funny business, mister. " she said with a dark tone in her voice "I ain't chasing ya all over these woods and if I have to, I'll hit ya with another rock."

Zuko grunted angrily, remembering the last time she had decided to hit him with a rock. His head was still pounding from the impact and when he reached up to touch his head, he felt a large lump just above his good eye. It was covered in dried blood and stung to the touch. Zuko made a mental note to avoid touching it again. For a moment, Terru looked down at the floor, her long curtains of hair falling to cover her eyes. Was she….was she feeling guilty? Zuko let an angry breath out through his nose. He hoped she felt awful for what she'd done. Stupid peasant.

Gathering all of his willpower, Zuko sat up. His limbs protested angrily and he tried not to wince in front of the Earth Bender as the muscles in his stomach screamed out in agony. There was no way he was going to let _her _see that he was in pain. The Wolf-Lion shifted underneath him and Zuko remembered exactly what he was sitting on. Hurriedly, he swung his legs around and jumped off the large animal as quickly as he could, hoping to not have incurred the beast's wrath. The stinging pain in his ankle was the least pressing matter at the moment and he ignored it, wanting to get away form Cougar. The shaggy head of the animal looked back at him and Zuko backed away a few inches, limping as he did so.

Terru looked down at his ankle and tutted.

"Looks like you've gone an made it worse. No matter. You'll just have ta ride on Cougar for a while til' it heals up."

Zuko had no intention of ever getting back on the Wolf-Lion ever again. He had heard all of the horror stories about Wolf-Lions as a child. How they would sneak into villages and take children from the fields where they were playing. How they would slaughter entire herds of animals and only take a few for food. They were aggressive, dangerous and vicious creatures and Zuko still couldn't believe that he was actually standing next to one.

Turning away from Zuko, Terru began to unpack the two bags attached to the side of the Wolf-Lion. Zuko could hardly believe she was using the great animal as an Emu-Horse. He stood his ground, not daring to move until Cougar was far away. Removing some pots and pans from the saddle bags, Terru looked around the clearing for a suitable place to start a fire. Zuko watched her carefully, but never once letting his guard down in front of Cougar. Eventually, Terru found a suitable spot and dumped the contents she was carrying onto the floor. Then, she returned to the Wolf-Lion to take off the saddle bags and saddle. After she'd removed the burdens, Cougar present all his itchy places to be scratched and Terru gladly obliged. The Wolf-Lion almost looked like a cub when it began to make little noises of pleasure as Terru scratched at his back and underside.

She didn't once look at Zuko whilst she worked, though he didn't once take his eyes off either of them. She set about busying herself with menial tasks, setting up a place for a fire, unrolling a sleeping fur, collecting fire wood and seeing to the Wolf-Lion. Zuko's good eyebrow rose when he saw her pull a large longbow from one of the saddle bags along with a quiver of arrows. Why would an Earth Bender need a bow? A plan started to formulate in his mind and although it meant going against his oath, he was determined to get away and find his Uncle.

"Stay here, Zulee." Terru commanded, pointing at him with her bow "And don't think'a runnin' off either. Cougar'll keep an eye on ya, won't ya Cougar?"

The Wolf-Lion growled a low deep sound in its throat and trudged over to the campfire, which hadn't been lit yet. Cougar lay down on his stomach and crossed it's paws in front of himself, laying his large shaggy head onto the them and staring at Zuko. Without the saddle and the bags to weigh him down, Zuko doubted that Cougar would have any trouble reaching him in less than three steps, though they were at least fifteen feet away from each other. And he was in no shape to outrun a Wolf-Lion. He doubted he could do it even if he was fully healed.

Zuko didn't say a word as he watched Terru disappear into the trees with the bow and quiver of arrows slung over her shoulder. The light was beginning to fade and the last rays of the afternoon sun were filtering through the above canopy so delicately Zuko wondered how long it would be before the trees snuffed out the light altogether. He waited several minutes before he lost sight of Terru through the trees. Cougar lay on the ground, his eyes never leaving Zuko's own. Since he had gotten down from the back of the great creature, Zuko hadn't moved an inch and although he hated to admit it, his ankle was really beginning to throb.

_Should I chance it?_

Zuko thought long and hard before deciding that he'd try his luck. He took a step back, barely making a sound as his foot swept backwards through the grass. Cougar continued to look at him, but didn't move. Zuko took another step backwards, then another. He made it to the edge of the trees and the Wolf-Lion still had not moved. As slowly as he could, Zuko turned around. He raised his bad foot to take another step out of the clearing and all of a sudden, there was an almighty, deafening roar that shook Zuko to his very core. He shot into a bending position as quickly as his wounds would allow, but when he faced the animal, he realized that it hadn't moved. It still lay on the ground, though it's head was raised up above its paws. It stared at Zuko as though it disapproved of his actions. Like he was a naughty child who had stepped out of line! Zuko was sure that if his Uncle had been there to witness it, he would have laughed at the expression on the animal's face.

They stared at each other for a full ten minutes, eyes boring into the others. There was something about Cougar that Zuko couldn't quite place. As if there was some sort of _intelligence _behind him. But that couldn't be, surely. He was a Wolf-Lion. A stupid, dumb beast for Agni's sake! What was he afraid of?

Zuko tried to tell himself that he wasn't afraid. That he shouldn't be. But something nagged at the back of his mind, a niggling doubt. If this Wolf-Lion was tame enough to let someone ride it, then surely it could act as a guard?

_Don't be stupid! _He told himself. _You'll be fine. You've gotten out of worse than this._

Taking another chance, Zuko stood back up. His muscles protested, especially after the sudden movement, but he ignored it. He began to turn back around, but when he did, he heard another almighty roar and there standing in front of him, blocking his path, was the Wolf-Lion with teeth bared. Zuko did a double take, taking a fearful step away from Cougar and back into the clearing. How had it moved so fast?

"I told ya Cougar'd look after you"

Zuko heard Terru walking into the clearing and almost immediately, the Wolf-Lion's snarl disappeared and his stance became relaxed. Zuko stood immobile as the creature circled him once, then twice. But a shrill, harsh whistle form Terru made him back off. Cougar grunted, thrashed his shaggy head up in annoyance and padded back to his master. Zuko stood where he was for a full five minutes, staring at Terru and the vicious creature she commanded.

Terru had three Gopher-Bears strung over her back and was carrying the bow in her left hand. She bent down beside what was to be the fire and with some iron pyrite and a rock, she struck up a small spark. By the time Zuko had recovered his composure and was certain that the Wolf-Lion wasn't going to gut him where he stood, Terru had gotten a small fire started and was beginning to skin the Gopher-Bears. One she threw to Cougar.

"He won't bite unless I tell him to." She said, not looking up from her work "But ya'll are gonna have to be careful around him until we can trust you a little more."

Zuko glared at her, then at Cougar, who was lying back in his position, tearing savagely into his meal. The thought made Zuko realize just how easily he could have been ripped apart himself.

"Well come on then!" Terru gestured to him "These things ain't gonna skin themselves, ya know!"

Zuko ignored her. There was no way he was coming within five feet of her 'pet'! Terru looked up at him and frowned. She let out a little puff of air, sounding irritated.

"I told you, he won't attack unless I tell him to. Now get your ass over here!"

It took Zuko a full five minutes to register exactly what it was she'd said and when he did, he was slow to react. He felt as if he was off his game, completely taken by surprise. He didn't like surprises. Slowly, Zuko limped over to where Terru was sitting, keeping his eyes trained on the Wolf-Lion the entire time though it did nothing but rest its great head on its paws. Zuko regarded the animal warily, though with a greater respect for it. Clearly, he wasn't going to be able to just walk away from this woman.

"Well, sit down." Terru said, her smile returning. "And let's see if we can have us some food."

Zuko obliged and slowly sat down, much to his pained ankles dismay. It was only when Terru thrust one of the dead animals into his hands that he looked away from the Wolf-Lion. Looking up at a once again smiling Terru, Zuko tried not to gag at the half butchered creature in his lap. Sure, Zuko had been on hunting parties with his father before in the heat of Fire Nation summers, but never before had he actually seen an animal split open with its _innards_ hanging out, much less touched one.

Terru held a knife out to him, gesturing for Zuko to skin and gut the creature. Zuko instantly toyed with the idea of using the knife as a weapon to escape. But of course, a knife would be of little use against an Earth Bender. What he needed were his dual swords and they unfortunately had been swept away when he had fallen in the river.

"Well go on then…" Terru prompted, holding the knife out to him

But instead, Zuko shoved the dead Gopher-Bear out of his lap and onto the dirt floor, scowling fiercly. Terru looked down at the animal lodged in the dirt and rolled her eyes.

"Suit yourself" she said, picking it up off the floor and skinning it.

When she was done gutting and skinning the two Gopher-Bears, Terru stuck them in a pot that was held over the fire. She cleaned the blade she had been using by rinsing it with water and then she put her bow and arrows away. Zuko continued to stare at Cougar, who was now dosing by the fireside. A plan was formulating in his mind to escape, his first one a complete failure. But he wouldn't be able to do it in his condition. Not now. First he would have to get stronger. Zuko groaned inwardly as there was a sinking feeling in his stomach that told him he would have to wait with the annoying Earth Bender a lot longer than originally planned. Terru snapped him out of his thoughts.

"So, I reckon if we head North West a little longer, we'll reach the edge of the woods and you can be on your way. Should take about a week or so."

She lay back against a rock and placed her hands behind her head.

"So, what were you doin' in my woods anyway? Where were ya headed?"

Zuko looked down at the floor. The cogs in his mind had been ticking away and he had come to a conclusion. He was going to have to let this infuriating, crazy woman cart him around the forest. Or at least until he could walk again properly. A bad sprain would usually heal in a couple of days, so he would bide his time. He would make sure that everything went smoothly until he could get away and find his Uncle. So, Zuko took a deep breath inwards and readied all of his willpower.

"Ba Sing Se" he said simply, not trusting himself to be polite to the strange woman.

Not surprisingly, the perky Earth Bender lit up at this comment. Zuko immediately knew he was going to be in for a lot more questions. But he would just have to ride it out until the time was right. Terru beamed at him, flicking some more hair out of her face, looking immensely smug.

"Ah, so the mighty Prince 'a the World sees fit to talk down to me, a lowly peasant. Good to see you came round ta' my way 'a thinking. I reckon Cougar had somethin' to do with that."

_No kidding. _Zuko thought bitterly.

"So, how'd ya end up in the river?" Terru asked, cocking her head to the side. "Looked like you were out for the count. Somethin' real bad must'a happened."

Zuko didn't really feel like telling her much about himself or his encounter with the Rough Rhino's. If he did, she'd probably guess who he was and then he'd be done for. So, he came up with a half lie- half truth.

"My Emu-Horse kicked me off the bridge." Zuko said simply, unsure of what else to say.

Luckily, Terru seemed to be pleased with this explination and Zuko breathed a sigh of relief, though it was short lived when he realized he was in for a lot more questions.

"Why were ya on your way to Ba Sing Se then?" she asked "Here to see the sights?"

"We're refugees" Zuko lied, sticking to his tall tale.

He realized he made another mistake when Terru frowned and cocked her head to the side.

"We?"

Zuko let out a sigh through his nose.

"Me and my Uncle."

A look of recognition shot across Terru's face and she swiped away from more strands of hair from her face.

"So that's why you're eager ta get outta here. You gotta go find your uncle."

All of a sudden, she shot up onto her feet, making Zuko dart into a bending pose, which was quite difficult to accomplish whilst sat on the ground. But Terru seemed not to notice and paced back and forth in front of the fire with her hand on her chin.

"Well now," she spoke to herself "we've got quite a situation here. You're lost in the woods, injured and with no idea where your uncle might'a gone. Well I'm just gonna have to help you to find him. Or at least get ya to the edge of the woods. Least I can do really. We'll start makin' our way down the woods in the mornin'. But we're gonna have to be careful. Plenty'a bandits and Fire Nation punks in these woods. Damn near burnt down half the forest!"

Zuko relaxed into a normal position, realizing that he was just being paranoid. He didn't think that this Earth Kingdom would hurt him unless she had good reason to. The Wolf-Lion on the other hand was a different matter. Finally, Terru sat down back to where she was and poked the slabs of meat in the pot to see if they were cooking.

"There's been plenty'a trouble in these woods recently, ya know." She said, wrinkling her nose in thought "Bunch'a soldiers came in and destroyed the shrine to the wood spirit a couple'a days ago."

Zuko began to wonder exactly what it was she was doing in the woods in the first place. Surely she wasn't just passing through? But then again, if he was riding a Wolf-Lion, he doubted he'd take the main road either.

"You heard the story of the wood spirit round here?" Terru asked, scratching the side of her messy bun.

Zuko grunted. He was sure his Uncle had probably told him about the spirits and all that waste of time before. Zuko had never payed much mind to the Spirit World. It had just never been an issue before. Even when he had been at the spirit oasis at the Northern Water Tribe with that water bender girl, he hadn't felt particularly spooked by any of it. No strange feelings of foreboding or anticipation. He had been more interested in capturing the Avatar, not that it had worked out that way.

Terru seemed to take his silence as a 'no' and spoke slowly, as if she were saying a warning.

"They say that the wood spirit round here used to be a person. A beautiful girl who lived peacefully in one'a the nearby towns. She was surrounded by friends and family and a handsome man that she had fallen in love with. The girl was happy and she didn't want for anythin'. But then one day, she suffered great sorrow and fled into the woods. There she went to the townspeople's holy place, b'side a huge oak tree with a large stump in front of it to place gifts and sweet meats on for the spirits."

Terru lowered her head and her voice, as if what she were telling him was not to be heard by anyone else. The loose strands of hair fell in front of her eyes and the shadows of the fading sun cast dark circles under her eyes, making her look sinister. She continued.

"Once there, she cried for three days, cursin the God's for her misfortunes and prayin' for death. Then, on the night'a the third day, she was visited by a creature basked in shadow. It stood on four legs like'a wolf but she was terrified when it spoke to her. The creature told her that because she had forsaken the God's and stripped herself of her faith, she was 'ta be punished. The girl begged for mercy, but it was too late. The creature let out a terrifyin' howl and she fell into shadow. When she woke up, she tried to leave the woods to return to her village, but she couldn't. The very trees would grow together to block her path and the vines would snag at her feet to keep her back. That was when she knew she was never to leave the forest and that she would wander the woods for the rest'a eternity."

In an instant, Terru shot back up and she beamed a huge smile.

"But that's just the legend. I reckon this place is haunted, if I'm honest with ya."

Zuko wasn't listening. He was spending his time trying not to concentrate too hard on the meat that was slowly filling his sense with delight. He was starving! He hadn't eaten all day, no doubt because he was strapped to the Wolf-Lion like a sack of rice. Terru noticed him looking at the pot and when she had turned the meat over with a stick and dubbed it fit for consumption, she removed the meat from the pan, put it on a plate and handed it to Zuko along with an eating knife. He barely bothered with the knife. He tore into the meat like it would be his last meal and who knew – it might have been.

Terru watched him eat in silence, occasionally picking at her own. She didn't seem to want to eat it, so instead she threw it aside to Cougar, who was lying on his back beside the fire. He immediately wolfed it down, pouncing on it and tearing it apart like his life depended on it. Zuko tried not to stare at the creature, remembering just how close _he _had been to being that piece of meat.

Zuko relished in the silence. He had never been much of a talker, preferring instead to be contented with his own thoughts and musings. Now he was wondering exactly why this strange woman had helped him and where she had come form. She wore a battle hammer at her side, so Zuko assumed that she was a deserter in the Earth Kingdom Army.

_She must be hiding out here in the woods until the heat dies down_. Zuko thought to himself as he finished the last scrap of meat.

His stomach rumbled happily after it had been fed, though the uncomfortable bruising on his chest and stomach still made it particularly difficult to enjoy doing any sort of activity. Not that Zuko really _had_ an activity.

He noticed that Terru had banked the fire and had rolled out the sleeping mat. She gestured to it and went to lay down besides her Wolf-Lion. Zuko wondered why she was offering him her bedroll, but didn't phrase the question. Slowly, he got to his feet and trudged over to the sleeping roll. Zuko doubted that he would sleep much with the Wolf-Lion in such close proximity, but that didn't bother him. He was already thinking of his plan to escape.

_Soon. _He thought. _Soon._


	3. Chapter 3

**Stranded With a Stranger**

**Meeoko**

**Summary : Book 2. Whilst traveling in the Earth Kingdom, Zuko and Iroh are attacked by the Rough Rhino's. Zuko wakes up to find himself stuck in the forest with a loud and intriguing stranger. Short-fic for winner of my poll, Zutara-for-the-win.**

**Author's Note's : Okay, here's chapter 3. I've only had one review so far since posting the last chapter, so I'm assuming my old reviewers are long gone (which is fair enough. It has been a year after all). But if anyone DOES review, could they tell me why I can't seem to post links onto my profile any more? They don't seem to work. ANyway, thanks again. Hope you enjoy this one.**

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Zuko hadn't slept well at all. He had tossed and turned several times, waking up in the middle of the night to a jolting pain in his chest. It took him a few minutes to realize that he wasn't being attacked, but that he'd sat up quickly and the bruising on his chest was hurting. He was dreaming of his grandfather, Azulon. Zuko had been drowning in a sea of icy needles jabbing at his flesh. He could hear a dull roaring in his ears that had slowly turned into his grandfather's voice. He was pulled out of the sea by Azulon's strong hands and held high above a cliff. His grandfather recited to him the oath they had sworn as children.

"_If someone has proven themselves above and beyond the call, it is to that person you owe your life. Their needs shall become your own. For although life can easily be taken, it cannot easily be given back."_

Then Azulon had thrown Zuko off the top of the cliff, back into the icy waters below where he slowly suffocated. Zuko had woken up in a cold sweat with steam rising off from his body. Zuko had suffered from nightmares since the day of his banishment and although he was used to a lack of sleep, the nightmares never got any less terrifying or realistic. It was dawn. Zuko always woke at dawn, rising along with the sun, for that was his element. But when Zuko sat up (rather painfully at that), he saw that the Earth Bender was already awake. She was sat cross legged in front of the fire watching over some eggs that were slowly baking on a rock. Zuko wondered where she'd gotten the eggs from. Sure, it was still spring, but eggs were almost impossible to find in a forest so dense as this one. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Good mornin', Zulee. I'd ask ya if ya slept well, but it sure didn't look like it."

Zuko blanched. He prayed to Agni that he hadn't lost control of his bending whilst he was asleep. Whenever Zuko had nightmares, he tended to lose the ability to control his bending and would often heat up to ridiculous temperatures because of his inner fire. He wondered if Terru had seen him do anything that was suspiciously Fire Bender, but he was certain that if she _had _seen him do anything out of the ordinary then she would have just killed him right then and there. Zuko wouldn't have blamed her either, though he wondered exactly why he said that to himself.

"Hope ya like eggs." Terru said, seeming oblivious to anything he might have done the night before. "Took me forever to find the damn things."

As much as Zuko detested being in the presence of the Earth Bender (or anybody for that matter), he had to admit that the eggs smelled good. But first, he had to begin his morning rituals. Zuko had a strict policy that he would not eat breakfast until he had completed his bending exercises, though obviously he wasn't going to do any of that in front of Terru. Instead, Zuko shook the blanket off of himself and tried to flex his foot. It still hurt, but it wasn't restricting his movement. So, Zuko painstakingly rose to his feet and slowly began to stretch out his limbs. He didn't want to be getting sloppy with his training just because he was injured. It hadn't stopped him when he'd been half blown to hell off his own ship when those damn pirates tried to kill him and it wouldn't stop him now! He went through the movements carefully so as not to do himself any further damage, ignoring Terru's gaze as she watched him. He didn't want to be too obvious that he was doing bending movements, so he used some typical stretches and positions that were similar to a non-bending martial art he used as the Blue Spirit.

Slowly, his muscles began to limber up. Zuko began to feel a bit more comfortable in his body as the tensions eased and by the time he had finished the set ten minutes later, he felt better than he had since he fell off the bridge in the first place. Turning away from Terru (he remembered the last time she'd seen him without any clothes on!), he unwrapped his Earth Kingdom shirt to reveal the huge purple bruise on his chest from where he had been kicked by that accursed Emu-Horse. The edges were turning a very murky brown colour, but that meant that it was healing. Zuko wondered whether or not he'd had any internal damage, though he doubted it. If he had, there would have been no way the Earth Bender girl would have been able to heal him. Especially if she was living alone in the forest to avoid her battalion. Assured that the bruise wouldn't cause him any lasting damage, Zuko retied his shirt.

"Breakfast's ready, if ya want it!" Terru piped up, holding out a platter with two eggs on top of it.

Silently taking the platter, Zuko sat in front of the fire with his legs crossed and began to eat. The eggs were hot and delicious and he finished them both within a minute. Terru looked over at him, before walking over to Cougar. Terru pushed a bunch of hair from her eyes and began to stroke Cougar, who was lying down lazily a few metres away from Zuko.

"You wanna know how Cougar and I first met?" `Terru asked. Zuko said nothing, which the Earth Bender seemed to take as a yes.

"I remember it was a cold, bitter night." She began. "The tree's were swayin' and you could see smoke in the sky from the fires a few miles away. I got real scared and wandered through the woods, completely lost. I headed into a clearing, much like this one, to try to catch my breath. I'd been runnin' for too long and I was certain that if I didn't keep goin', then they'd find me."

Zuko had an overwhelming urge to ask who 'they' were, but remained silent as Terru continued her story.

"But I was tired and I couldn't go on any longer. So I sat down and waited. It didn't take long for 'em to find me. They had eyes everywhere. After all, it was their forest. But it wasn't who I expected it to be. It was a group'a soldiers, carryin' fire through the woods in their hands. I'd never seen anythin' like it before that night and it scared the livin' hell outta me. They attacked me. I tried to fend 'em off with my father's blacksmithing hammer that I'd taken from his shop, but they overpowered me."

Zuko listened intently, though he was determined not to show any signs that he was interested in the strange girl's story.

"I was just about done for. One'a them was about to deliver the final blow when all of a sudden, there was this mighty roar. Next thing I knew, the soldiers were screamin' and runnin' away, but no matter where I looked I could only see the fading light on the sun. I blacked out and when I woke next, there he was standin' over me."

Terru gestured to Cougar, scratching behind his ear affectionately.

"A great huge beast!" she waved a hand. "I was scared to death. All the people in my village had been careful to keep their little ones close to the houses when they were playin' just in case a Wolf-Lion would come and take 'em away. A few of our animals had been killed an' eaten too. But he didn't hurt me. He just looked at me and when he licked my face, I knew he wasn't going to hurt me. He was just a big softie really."

But then, Terru's face fell. She looked crestfallen and her voice went very quiet, almost a whisper. Zuko's eyebrow rose up, noticing the woman's strange behavior.

"It took me three days to find my way back to my village." Terru mumbled. "Cougar carried me all the way. But by the time I got back, everyone was gone. The whole village had been burned down and everyone – my pa, my brother and sisters, my friends and even the man I loved – were all dead."

Silently, Terru began to pack up the items she had unloaded into the saddle bags and then put them onto Cougar's back, along with its saddle. She gestured to Zuko and then at Cougar, a sad smile on her face.

"Time we got goin', Angry Pants. Hop on."

Zuko wasn't sure how to react, especially after being called 'Angry Pants'. The Earth Bender's strange behavior baffled him and the story intrigued him at the same time. He wanted to ask her what she was doing still in the forest. Was she hiding from the soldiers who had burnt her village and killed her family? Why hadn't she been there to defend them when they were attacked? Why hadn't she used her Earth Bending to fend them off?

All these questions reverberated inside his head, but he didn't dare ask them. A man's past was his own business. Zuko had suffered enough in his own life to know when enough was enough. He hated people prying into his affairs and pitying him for it and he didn't expect the Earth Bender to be any different. Zuko hated being pitied and he sure as hell wasn't going to offer it to someone else. Terru nodded at the Wolf-Lion's saddle, seeming impatient. But Zuko didn't move. There was no way he was going to get on that thing again! Terru guessed his intentions because she frowned and pouted.

"You ain't walkin'. That's for damn sure."

Zuko had a perpetual frown stuck on his face. He knew he didn't want to get back on the Wolf-Lion, for fear that it would kill him. But realistically, the Earth Bender could have issued the command for Cougar to kill Zuko yesterday if she'd wanted to. She could have done away with him in his sleep if she'd wanted to, but she didn't. Terru looked him up and down, a small frown creasing her brow. She waved her arm at him slowly, as if he hadn't understood the question. This made Zuko blow an irritated breath through his nose, but carefully, he took a step forward closer to the Wolf-Lion. Then another, and another. Soon enough, he was standing beside Terru and Cougar, though his arms were crossed over his chest defensively.

"There." Terru beamed at him unexpectedly. "That wasn't so hard now, was it?"

Zuko didn't reply and he suspected she knew he wouldn't either, because a second later, she stomped her foot onto the floor and the earth they were standing on rose into the air so that it was level with the Wolf-Lion's back. Jumping from the rock, Terru landed with ease on the Wolf-Lion's neck, just between it's large horns. Zuko was less than excited to be getting back on the creature and was as careful and slow as he could be when he climbed onto Cougar's back. There was no need to hold onto Terru. The Wolf-Lion was plenty big enough to carry both of them with ease and Zuko had no fear of slipping off. Plus, he had absolutely _no _intention of clutching onto the annoying Earth Bender like a helpless child.

Kicking the sides of the Wolf-Lion gently, Terru urged the animal into a walk. Zuko held on as they began to travel through the forest, wondering exactly what he thought he was doing.

* * *

They had been wandering for almost three hours when Terru turned to Zuko in the saddle and asked him a question.

"So, where'd ya reckon your uncle went to?"

Zuko had been thinking back to their conversation in the clearing going over everything she had said in his mind, but now that she'd mentioned it, Zuko had absolutely no idea where his uncle might be. What if he hadn't survived the Rough Rhino's? What if he too had fallen in the river? Zuko took a moment to gather his thoughts. The only way he'd be able to find his uncle was if he back-tracked and retraced his steps.

"The bridge I fell off." He said, still thinking. "It was a little further up the river from where you found me."

But Terru shook her head. She seemed to have recovered her jovial attitude, which didn't surprise Zuko in the least.

"A _little _further up? Boy, you gotta be kiddin'. That's at least another days journey from here. The falls I stopped you from fallin' over are miles away from the bridge! Guess you just didn't realize, what with tryin' to stop yourself from drownin' and all."

Zuko rubbed at his temples. He hadn't realized it would take that long to get to the bridge (if it was even still there) and it didn't help that the stupid Earth Bender had taken him all the way up into the mountains in order to save him. He also didn't appreciate being called 'boy'. After everything that had happened in the last two days, Zuko supposed he should be thanking Terru, but his pride stopped him. He still felt too raw from the rejection he had felt at the hands of those Earth Kingdom families he had saved from the tyranny of the corrupt Earth Kingdom soldiers. They had not reacted kindly when they had found out his true identity, though if Zuko was honest with himself, he hadn't expected them to. He had convinced himself when he had attacked the Earth Benders for kidnapping that kid, Lee that he knew who he was and that he should have heeded his mother's words and shown it. The days of memories past had given him so many mixed messages that he had hadn't known what to do. And after he had declared to the Earth Kingdom town who he was, he had realized he was no closer to knowing who he was that to the villagers accepting him into their lives.

"Guess we'll head back to the falls then" Terru announced, pulling the Wolf-Lion to the left a fraction.

* * *

Zuko had spent most of the day meditating, though it was a little difficult to do so whilst Cougar was on the move and Zuko was coming along for the ride. What he was trying to figure out was the nightmare he had had the previous night. It troubled him greatly. He hadn't dreamt of his grandfather for years and it disturbed him. For a while, he tried to concentrate solely on the dream, but eventually his mind drifted back to memories of his childhood in the Fire Nation. He pictured his grandfather sitting atop his fiery throne scowling down at them as if they were traitors to the cause. His son Ozai had sat beside them with his wife and daughter, showing off his Azula's abilities in the art of Fire Bending for an unrelenting Azulon. Zuko had been left behind.

But then, he heard his grandfathers voice reverberating inside his head, speaking the words of the oath he had sworn to his own father and he to his. Zuko could see himself reciting these words as well, not only to the old and sickly man in front of him, but the towering, dark presence of his father with eyes cast in shadow.

"_If someone has proven themselves above and beyond the call, it is to that person you owe your life. Their needs shall become your own. For although life can be easily taken away, it cannot be easily given back."_

Zuko opened his eyes. Was this his dream connected to his oath somehow? Had he dreamt of Azulon because he was about to break his oath and desert the woman who had saved his life? Perhaps it was a message from the Spirit World from Fire Lord Azulon himself, or was it just Zuko's long forgotten conscience? He shook his head from side to side. He didn't know anymore. He didn't know who he was.

The trees passed by in a blur as Zuko thought back to his grandfather and his great-grandfather. Such powerful, decisive men who were ruthless in their wishes and terrifying in their actions. Should he be like them? Shouldn't he be the successful, well respected and strong leader of the Fire Nation? Loved by his people and sharing his greatness with the world? But lately, it hadn't felt like it was that simple. Ever since Azula had tried to take he and his uncle prisoners aboard his ship and set a bounty on their heads, labeled as traitors.

_Traitors…._

Did his father really want him imprisoned? Was he really embarrassed by his only son? Zuko knew that he had failed at the siege of the Northern Water Tribe, but he had wanted to press on. To continue his search for the Avatar and prove to his father that he was not some weak and honourless child. But after Azula had arrived, everything had begun to change. Zuko had experienced more kindness in his life as a refugee than he had in his life serving his father - and this worried Zuko. It worried him because he was starting to see his nation in a different light. A light he hadn't wanted to see. The people of the world didn't see the benefits the Fire Nation was trying to bestow upon them, as he had been taught as a child. The world didn't see their greatness. They hated the Fire Nation and it had caused them endless pain and suffering. And the thing that worried Zuko most was that he was beginning to understand these people. Something inside him almost _wanted _to help them. Maybe that did make him a traitor….

"Hey Zulee." Terru spoke, interrupting his thoughts. "Can I ask ya a question?"

When Zuko said nothing, Terru took it as a point to continue.

"What's your real name?"

Zuko froze. He knew his game was up. But when neither Terru or Cougar didn't show any signs of aggression, Zuko decided to give them what they wanted. Perhaps then they'd be content and stop asking questions.

"My name is Zuko" he sighed, rubbing his temples.

He could see Terru nod her head as she sat in front of him, guiding the Wolf-Lion. He could picture her smiling, which was almost certainly the case.

"I'm guessin' you're that prince everyone's talkin' about then." She said smugly, pleased with her own deductions.

Zuko lowered his eyes. He was almost ashamed to say it, so he didn't. She knew already. Terru shifted in her seat at the saddle so that she could see him. Her smile was gentle and she didn't seem like she was about to turn him in for treachery. Her hair flapped about in the breeze and some more came loose in her bun, covering her eyes. She hastily flicked it out of the way.

"They'd be pretty damn happy if they knew you were here."

"No kidding." Zuko huffed, still feeling ashamed. Now he knew he couldn't refuse to hold his oath. It had been a sign in his dream, telling him to remember his promise and now here this strange and intriguing woman was, acting as if everything was fine and that they were just two people casually riding around the forest on a Wolf-Lion.

"Then again, they'd be real happy if they found me here too." Terru added, winking at Zuko before turning her head back around to see where she was going.

Zuko waited for her to continue, but when Terru didn't continue, he didn't ask any questions. It was as Lee's father had said; "_A man's past is his own business"_. They walked on in silence for the remainder of the day, which suited Zuko, though he had plenty of questions he wanted to ask Terru. Why hadn't she attacked him when she knew who he was? Or was it because she was running from the law as well and she understood his position? And why had she seen fit to help him in the first place? She could have easily let him go over the waterfall to his death. Instead, she had saved his life. Now Zuko knew that he was meant to be here, no matter how it may have come to pass. He knew he couldn't' abandon this woman without first fulfilling his oath. Whatever she needed, he would give. And it was around the campfire that night that he decided to tell her. She listened quietly as he explained how his family had been sworn to the oath for generations and how he would not be able to go on his way without fulfilling it, for it would dishonor him. He could see that now.

"Help me keep my promise." Zuko finished humbly, bowing his head.

For almost a full five minutes, Terru said nothing. Zuko was sure that she would have laughed at his ridiculous family tradition, but she had listened silently and offered no rebuttal. Finally, Terru looked up at him.

"Actually," she said thoughtfully "there _is _something you can do for me."

Zuko stopped chewing on his Gopher-Bear to listen. Of course, Terru had gone to catch their dinner with her bow and had made Zuko stay at the campsite with Cougar. Needless to say, the man and the animal had spent most of the time regarding each other strangely.

"There's been a bunch'a meat heads burnin' down the forest, near the edge of the woods. They've been cuttin' down trees to cart them off to be used in their little war games." Terru smirked devilishly at Zuko, which made him feel a little uncomfortable "I want you to help me show 'em not to mess with the forest. Won't do much for your street cred, but it'll sure as hell be fun!"

Zuko simply nodded. He would do whatever it took to repay the favour.

"Course we'll look for your uncle along the way too." Terru said, letting Zuko know that it wasn't all just about repaying favours. "I've got a feelin' I know where he's gone anyway."

Zuko wondered how she could possibly have any idea where his uncle might be, especially in such a dense and large forest. But he supposed that Terru would know the terrain better than anyone, especially if she was living here to hide from the army. At least, that was Zuko's theory. He decided he would take the plunge and ask.

"What are you doing here exactly?" he asked, unsure of how he must have sounded.

Terru seemed taken aback by this question, because she frowned. Getting up from her seat by the fire, she went over to stroke Cougar's snout, scratching at the itchy places behind his ear. After a few minutes, she replied.

"I'm making up for lost time." She said simply.

Zuko rolled his eyes. If she wasn't going to tell him any more than that, then fine! It wasn't like he cared anyway. But he was surprised when Terru continued.

"I only recently found out who I'm supposed 'ta be. Took me a real long time."

Zuko's good eyebrow rose up into his hairline. He hadn't expected the Earth Bender to be so forthcoming with her personal problems. But in some strange way, he understood what she meant. He lowered his head and looked at the floor, feeling ashamed. Zuko had faced many problems in his life before and all he had overcome. But this – this was something he couldn't conquer. Terru looked at him with her head cocked.

"It gets easier." She said quietly "It doesn't always feel like the right decision and it's hard, but when ya finally figure it out you can begin to heal."

Heal. That was a meaningless word to Zuko. On the day of his banishment, he had been told that his scar would heal someday. But had it? Had it really? He looked at the dirt floor absent mindedly, not willing to look the Earth Bender in the eye for fear she would see his shame. He was glad that she didn't try to touch him. Nor did she try to comfort him, which Zuko was glad about. He didn't want anyone pitying him. Pity was the worst thing anyone could ever show to him, in his opinion. If people pitied him, they that meant they thought he was weak. And Zuko was_ not_ weak!

"Well then." Terru said, piping up. "You better get some sleep, Zuko. We'll be at the bridge tomorrow."

* * *

When Zuko woke at dawn, Terru was already awake. Though there were no eggs for breakfast this time, she instead gave him some dried meat to chew on and he did so thoughtfully after he'd gone through his bending motions. Only this time, he went through his Fire Bending forms. After all, if Terru already knew who he was then there was no point hiding it form her. Although they were in a clearing, the Earth Bender had point blank yelled at Zuko when he'd shot a jet of flame from his fist.

"You've gotta respect the forest, kid! Do you wanna burn down the whole damn thing?"

Zuko had grumbled and scowled at the young woman, but had continued on with his training without the use of fire. He didn't appreciate being referred to as a kid. After all, Terru didn't look any more than three years older than he was! Zuko's muscles were beginning to feel less strained and when he looked down once again at the bruise on his chest, he could see that it was beginning to turn a moldy brown colour – a sure sign that it was healing. His ankle also didn't give him much grief, though Terru still wouldn't let him walk on it. Zuko wasn't quite so afraid of the Wolf-Lion anymore. In fact, it seemed like quite a docile beast, never once coming any closer to Zuko than he wanted him to. The only time that Zuko was wary of him was when Terru would throw him a piece of meat or a dead animal and he would tear it apart like the animal he was. Then Zuko would try to keep his distance.

They had set out early, much like the previous day and Zuko's mind had been racing a mile a minute. He was thinking about his uncle and what might have happened to him. His overly active sense of danger told him that the worst had happened and that Uncle had either been killed or captured. How could he have fought his way off the bridge without the use of his Fire Bending? Maybe he had just run into the woods, hoping to lose them in the tapestry of foliage and tree trunks. But if he had done that, was there ever a chance that Zuko would find him again? He could be anywhere!

Terru seemed to pick up on his thoughts, because she spoke form the head of the Wolf-Lion as they walked through the lush grass.

"I wouldn't worry." She said, sounding carefree and aloof "I know where your Uncle's gone. The woods can hear him askin' for ya."

Zuko had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. The woods were listening?

"How do you know?" he asked, frowning slightly.

Terru turned in the saddle and smirked at him. She winked playfully and Zuko felt a blush cover his cheeks, which he quickly hid from her by looking at the floor.

"A girl has her ways." Terru smirked, laughing gently.

Zuko scowled at the floor as they walked, embarrassed that he had blushed in front of another human being. He called himself stupid over and over again, wishing that he could just burn the woman down where she stood. But he couldn't' do that. Not now. The crazy Earth Bender had saved his life and he would do what he could to repay the favour before he headed to Ba Sing Se.

_If I get there at all. _He thought to himself doubtfully.

They walked for a few more hours in silence. Zuko contented himself with meditating, though this time he focused solely on calming his mind and concentrating. His inner fire burned within him slowly, ebbing and rising with the rays of the sun as they filtered through the trees. He could hear the footfalls of a small creature about fifty yards away and the chirping of the birds. The sound of his own breathing calmed him and slowly, the hours passed in a haze. When Zuko heard Terru's voice announce that they had arrived at the bridge, he almost didn't hear her.

Stepping down from the back of the Wolf-Lion, Zuko groaned and rubbed his temples. The bridge was split it two! It had burn marks along the handrail that was left on one side and some of the posts were splintered and cracked. Terru whistled.

"Looks like they did some damage, huh?"

Zuko darted his head towards Terru. What did she mean by that? How did she know? He tried to play the dumb card.

"Who did some damage?" he asked.

Terru let a laugh out through her nose. It was most un-ladylike.

"You think I'm stupid, Zuko?" she put her hand on her hip. "I'm talkin' 'bout those Fire Nation guys on the Komodo-Rhino's."

Zuko's mouth fell open. He stammered, trying to come up with anything to say. How did she know about the Rough Rhino's? Had she been spying on him when it had happened?

"But I – how did you – I mean you…." Zuko gave up.

Terru smirked, obviously enjoying the way she had flustered him. It angered Zuko greatly to be made to look like a fool and he glared at her.

"The trees told me." She said, shrugging.

Zuko frowned. The trees had told her? What in Agni's name was she talking about? The crazy wench had obviously been living by herself for too long! But before Zuko could reply, Terru swung back onto Cougar's saddle and patted the space behind her.

"Come on then." She hurried him "You wanna find your Uncle or not? Cos he ain't gonna wait much longer. Been waiting for nearly a week now."

Zuko tried to stammer another incoherent word, but it was useless. He supposed the only thing he could do was trudge on and find Uncle. Walking back over to Cougar with a slight limp, Zuko jumped up into the saddle behind Terru. She turned back round to face him.

"You're gonna have to hold onto me this time." She said.

Zuko frowned.

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

They walked towards the bridge. Cougar padded towards the broken posts, but then stepped backwards. Zuko could see exactly what Terru intended to do and he hastily grabbed onto her waist, though it made him flush with embarrassment. He was glad that she couldn't see him as Cougar began crouched down with them sitting on top of him. Suddenly, he burst into a run faster than any Emu-Horse and as Zuko closed his eyes and grit his teeth together, they flew through the air. There was a moment where Zuko felt as if he were suspended in mid air and his stomach flew up into his mouth, but he nearly bit his tongue when they came crashing down onto the other side of the broken bridge, clearing the twenty foot gap quite easily.

"We better go find that uncle'a yours then." Terru laughed, perfectly aware of Zuko's discomfort. "He should be at the shrine of the wood spirit."

Zuko was just about to ask her sarcastically if the trees had told her that when they lunged forward into a run. Luckily, they ran along the road, so Zuko didn't have to worry about dodging through trees at break-neck speed. But that didn't mean that he wasn't terrified all the same. They raced over the dirt road with ease, hurtling forwards faster and faster until Zuko was certain he would fall off. They ran along the dirt road for almost two hours before they came to a stop. Surprisingly, Zuko saw that the Wolf-Lion wasn't the least bit tired. In fact, it wasn't even panting! Terru urged the creature into a slow walk, laughing when Zuko prized him arms from around her waist like he had been frozen to it.

They began to walk up a rather steep hill. There were stone steps built into the earth, heading far up into the forest. The Wolf-Lion took its time whilst climbing them, careful not to fall backwards down the steep incline – especially with passengers on its back. They took about twenty minutes to climb up to the top of the path, where the trees were thicker and almost no sound reached the clearing that was up there. As Zuko's eyes saw over the ridge, he caught sight of something beautiful standing in the centre of the clearing. It was a large golden statue, but it had been torn down to the ground and had broken into several pieces. Burn marks covered the expanse of the clearing and some of the trees had been cut down forcefully.

"Zuko?"

It was then Zuko saw who was kneeling at the bottom of the statue, with tears in their eyes. The old man smiled upon him with great joy and rose up onto his feet, wiping a tear from his cheek. Zuko sat atop the Wolf-Lion with a smile he hadn't realized he had on his face. Relief washed over him in waves and he dismounted from the animal immediately and began to walk towards the statue's base.

"Uncle!"


End file.
